Dec 23, 2002 2 min read

IRWIN, Pa. (AP) – A man under house arrest, three of his relatives and two other people face charges following what authorities said was one of the biggest heroin drug busts in a western Pennsylvania county in recent years. Officers stormed a North Huntington Township, Westmoreland County, home Saturday and arrested the six, said by authorities to be midlevel dealers, as part of a sting.

The bust happened after undercover officers bought 11 bricks of heroin worth $13,750, police said.

“I haven’t seen anything that large in the county in a long time. … It’s the most I’ve ever seen in my 26-year career,” said Penn Township police detective Tony Pecora.

Authorities said Dean Labuda, 27, ran the drug ring out of his apartment, about 15 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, because he was under house arrest on other charges. Also arrested were Labuda’s wife, Diane Carson, 42; his sister, Renee Labuda, 33; his mother, Elizabeth Labuda, 53; and two other men, Kevin Johnson, 44, and Michael Davis, 47. All were charged with drug possession, delivery of a controlled substance.

and conspiracy.

Dean Labuda, Elizabeth Labuda and Davis remained in the Westmoreland County Jail on Sunday, while Carson had been released. Westmoreland County Jail officials said they could not provide information about Renee Labuda or Johnson.

Davis, Johnson, Elizabeth Labuda and Renee Labuda had unlisted numbers and could not be reached for comment, while there were no listings for Dean Labuda or Carson. It could not be determined Sunday whether they had retained attorneys.